Editing Spokane, Washington (section)

===Trading post===
The explorer-geographer [[David Thompson (explorer)|David Thompson]], working as head of the [[North West Company]]'s [[Columbia Department]], became the first European to explore the Inland Empire (now called the [[Inland Northwest (United States)|Inland Northwest]]).<ref name="Stratton19">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=19}}</ref> Crossing what is now the Canada–US border from [[British Columbia]], Thompson wanted to expand the North West Company further south in search of furs. After establishing the [[Kullyspell House]] and [[Saleesh House]] trading posts in what are now Idaho and Montana, Thompson then attempted to expand further west. He sent out two trappers, [[Jacques Raphael Finlay]] and Finan McDonald, to construct a [[fur trade|fur trading post]] on the Spokane River, which flows west from [[Lake Coeur d'Alene]] to the [[Columbia River]], and trade with the local Indians.<ref name="SpokaneH">{{cite web |last=Oldham |first=Kit |title=The North West Company establishes Spokane House in 1810 |work=Essay 5099 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=January 23, 2003 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5099| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> This post was established in 1810, at the confluence of the [[Little Spokane River|Little Spokane]] and [[Spokane River|Spokane]] rivers, becoming the first enduring European settlement of significance in what later became Washington state.<ref name="Stratton19"/> Known as the [[Spokane House]], or simply "Spokane", it was in operation from 1810 to 1826.<ref name="Phillips"/> Operations were run by the British North West Company and later the [[Hudson's Bay Company]], and the post was the headquarters of the fur trade between the Rocky and Cascade mountains for 16 years. After the latter business absorbed the North West Company in 1821, the major operations at the Spokane House were eventually shifted north to [[Fort Colville]], reducing the post's significance.<ref>{{harvp|Meinig|1993|p=69}}</ref>

[[File:Spokane Falls 1888.jpg|thumb|left|alt= Lithograph depicting the Spokane falls in 1888| [[Spokane Falls]] in 1888]]

In 1836, Reverend [[Samuel Parker (missionary)|Samuel Parker]] visited the area and reported that around 800 Native Americans were living in Spokane Falls.<ref>{{harvp|Ruby|Brown|1988|p=75}}</ref> A [[Whitman Mission National Historic Site|medical mission]] was established by [[Marcus Whitman|Marcus]] and [[Narcissa Whitman]] to cater for [[Cayuse people|Cayuse]] Indians and hikers of the Oregon Trail at [[Walla Walla, Washington|Walla Walla]] in the south.<ref name=Essay10777>{{cite web |last=Tate |first=Cassandra |title=Missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman begin their journey to the Northwest, one day after their wedding, on February 19, 1836. |work=Essay 10777 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=May 8, 2014 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=10777| access-date = November 22, 2014}}</ref> 
After [[Whitman massacre|the Whitmans were killed]] by Indians in 1847, Reverend [[Cushing Eells]] established [[Whitman College]] in their memory, also setting up the [[Tshimakain Mission|first church]] in the Spokane area.<ref name=Essay10777 />

In 1853, two years after the establishment of the Washington Territory, the first governor, [[Isaac Stevens]], made an initial effort to make a treaty with [[Chief Garry]] and the Spokanes at Antoine Plantes' Ferry, not far from [[Millwood, Washington|Millwood]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Tate |first=Cassandra |title=Cayuse Indians |work=Essay 10365 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=April 3, 2013 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=10365| access-date = November 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Chief Spokane Garry (ca. 1811–1892) |work=Essay 8713 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=August 1, 2008 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8713| access-date = November 22, 2014}}</ref> After the last campaign of the [[Yakima War|Yakima Indian War]], the [[Coeur d'Alene War]] of 1858 was brought to a close by the actions of Col. [[George Wright (general)|George Wright]], who won decisive victories against a confederation of tribes in engagements at the battles of [[Battle of Four Lakes|Four Lakes]] and [[Battle of Spokane Plains|Spokane Plains]].<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|pp=81–83}}</ref> The cessation of hostilities opened the inter-mountain valley of the Pacific Northwest to colonial expansion and safe habitation by settlers.<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=84}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Wilma |first=David |title=U.S. Army Colonel George Wright hangs Yakama and Palouse prisoners at the Ned-Whauld River beginning on September 25, 1858 |work=Essay 5141 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=January 29, 2003 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5141| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>